339 replies to this topic

[yerocal]

socaguy, on Nov 2 2006, 07:25 PM, said:

Augusta has had Chicos on and off for nearly 2 decades.  The first one was Downtown at Port Royal and the next one was (and still is) at Surrey Center,  an intown upscale lifestyle center.  I have serious doubts about Saks, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom in Macon.  They usually enter much larger markets.  If they are planning on serving South Atlanta,  they would build one in South Atlanta, not Macon.  Dont count on these guys....seriously.

i don't doubt that because charleston SC,  not much bigger than macon and they had a saks for years. So why not Macon.

[dougtha1]

socaguy, on Nov 2 2006, 07:25 PM, said:

Augusta has had Chicos on and off for nearly 2 decades.  The first one was Downtown at Port Royal and the next one was (and still is) at Surrey Center,  an intown upscale lifestyle center.  I have serious doubts about Saks, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom in Macon.  They usually enter much larger markets.  If they are planning on serving South Atlanta,  they would build one in South Atlanta, not Macon.  Dont count on these guys....seriously.

U can t blame us for being hopeful. Sure its a long shot, but Ill keep the hope until the tennants are actually annouced or whatever.

[ATLman1]

yerocal, on Nov 2 2006, 11:20 PM, said:

i don't doubt that because charleston SC,  not much bigger than macon and they had a saks for years. So why not Macon.

Macon is way to small to support any of those retailers. Charleston is much larger than Macon. It is also a tourist destination unlike Macon.

[yerocal]

ATLman1, on Nov 2 2006, 11:30 PM, said:

Macon is way to small to support any of those retailers. Charleston is much larger than Macon. It is also a tourist destination unlike Macon.

Charleston is not that much larger than Macon and i do think macon will able to support retailers like that and propably more due to its locations and Metro Area.

[teshadoh]

Charleston's 3 county metro is around 800k, I think that is several 100k more than Macon & Warner-Robins.  Also, Charleston has a large & established high income population in the city & some suburbs, larger than most cities it's size.

I don't think there is going to be another Atlanta, or comparable city in GA.  And really - that is good.

Edited by teshadoh, 03 November 2006 - 09:00 AM.

[dougtha1]

ATLman1, on Nov 2 2006, 10:30 PM, said:

Macon is way to small to support any of those retailers. Charleston is much larger than Macon. It is also a tourist destination unlike Macon.

Charleston is not that much larger than Macon first off, second ofcourse nobody is really sure if macon could support that type of retail,but the main thing that seperates Chuck from Macon is it being a major tourist destination.

[Pillsbury]

^ But Charleston is a good bit larger than Macon and Augusta and Savannah.   Like Teshadoh said, there is a lot of money down that way.   I'm sorry, but Macon and Augusta or Savannah are not there yet.  I don't think we'll be there for quite awhile.

I don't know much about Macon, but Augusta has one upscale shopping center and it is fairly upscale (overpriced restaurants though, entrees for $65.00, who has that kind of money!!!!) but we couldn't support the shops down at Port Royal back in the early 90s.  

We just need to focus on growing jobs and improving our cities.

[johnatl]

Macon and Middle Geogia are very nice areas, but there is no way Nordsrtom, Saks & Bloomies are going there.

The only reason Charleston has a Saks is what Brad mentioned - lot's of tourism, and lot's of local $$$$, both old and new. Besides, their Saks is very small and does not carry their full line. I would guess it's about 1/3 the size of their Phipps location.

Nordstrom doesn't locate in any metro of less than a million, for Bloomingdale's it's more like two million.

[dougtha1]

johnatl, on Nov 3 2006, 08:08 AM, said:

Macon and Middle Geogia are very nice areas, but there is no way Nordsrtom, Saks & Bloomies are going there.

The only reason Charleston has a Saks is what Brad mentioned - lot's of tourism, and lot's of local $$$$, both old and new. Besides, their Saks is very small and does not carry their full line. I would guess it's about 1/3 the size of their Phipps location.

Nordstrom doesn't locate in any metro of less than a million, for Bloomingdale's it's more like two million.

I think the idea is one of the three (or relly just something new to the area) not all three. thats ludacris.

[Pillsbury]

But stores like that typically only locate in cities that are well-known.  I just don't see it with Macon.  I'm trying really hard to see what sets Macon apart from other cities in this state.   I'm not trying to be critical, but just trying to understand.....

Also, I think the title of this thread is a bit misleading anyway.  There are 5 million people in metro Atlanta.  You could combine Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, and Valdosta together and you wouldn't have Atlanta.   You could combine every city in South Carolina and not have Atlanta.  You could even combine Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Greensboro together and you wouldn't have Atlanta.    Considering that you could combine all the major cities in Georgia together and not get Charlotte, I really don't see any realistic way any other city in Georgia will ever even begin to approach what Atlanta is.

Edited by Pillsbury, 03 November 2006 - 10:30 AM.

[yerocal]

We'll I feel that every city has it own potiential, but you may never be able to compare atlanta to any other city in city Ga because it has had such a big head start, but i will never say that any of the others cities could not have that potiential, because cities ever year exerience booming growth and with ga pop growing so fast Macon , columbus and augusta  can see huge growth as atlanta did, but on a smaller scale. really what make atl so big and diverse is because not only is it atlanta, you have marietta, decatur, collegepark, and all the others to contribute to the growth and has combine to form this huge metro. who to say that columbus-phoeinx city or augusta-akien,  or Macon-Warner Robins couldnt do the same.  you should never under estimate things because things change everyday.  if you want to get techinal atlanta's city limits is not that much bigger that macon or the others, because most the city linits of atlanta is confined inside 285 perimeter once you go outside the perimeter you are pretty much  in another city that surrounds Atl and all considerated atlanta because they are so close.

[Pillsbury]

^ Yes, but Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, et al., would be wide places in the road if it were not for Atlanta.   Just like Warner Robins would be without Macon (and the AF Base).

[dougtha1]

Pillsbury, on Nov 3 2006, 02:05 PM, said:

^ Yes, but Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, et al., would be wide places in the road if it were not for Atlanta.   Just like Warner Robins would be without Macon (and the AF Base).

I think what hes trying to say is that it is a lot less realistic if u compare Macon, Augusta, Savannah propper to Atlanta Metro. If you look at the city which is about 500,000 strong to Augusta etc.... reaching an "Atlanta" status seem more realistic. I a 500, 000 city center can anchor a 5 million man metro in Atlanta, then i dont think that any Second tier city is too far off to reach that if its their goal. Things just have to fall in place at the right time for whoever it is.

[Pillsbury]

^ Okay, so someone could maybe demonstrate how any city in this state could develop a city approaching 500,000 people?  I'm just not seeing it.   Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem:  none of those cities have populations approaching 500K, yet they are lightyears ahead of Macon, Augusta, et al.  

Besides if we went by city populations, Charlotte and Jacksonville would be considered bigger cities than Atlanta.  City populations are meaningless most of the time.

I'm not trying to be a jerk.  I am sincerely looking for positive news about our other Georgia cities...

Edited by Pillsbury, 03 November 2006 - 08:29 PM.

[dougtha1]

Pillsbury, on Nov 3 2006, 08:27 PM, said:

^ Okay, so someone could maybe demonstrate how any city in this state could develop a city approaching 500,000 people?  I'm just not seeing it.   Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem:  none of those cities have populations approaching 500K, yet they are lightyears ahead of Macon, Augusta, et al.  

Besides if we went by city populations, Charlotte and Jacksonville would be considered bigger cities than Atlanta.  City populations are meaningless most of the time.

I'm not trying to be a jerk.  I am sincerely looking for positive news about our other Georgia cities...

I agree that nobody in GA is going to catch Atlanta. They are so far ahead of everyone else and they are one of the fastest growing metros in the country. I just hope to see Atlanta hoover around 10 million and the other 2nd tier cities around 1 or 2 million. That would still equal 5 major cities in GA.

[Lady Celeste]

Before I start, I will take it that "Georgia's Next Atlanta" means which city will become next important in terms of size, business environment, population, retail and entertainment and not just merely another metro with 5 million people. Having said that..........

I hate to be pessimistic but Macon may never be the next Atlanta because it may one day be a part of Atlanta. Gainesville was once a nice sized city off to it's own. It is now a part of the CSA of Atlanta. As southern suburbs like McDonough (Henry County) grow in importance, is there a possibility that more people will commute out of what is now Macon's northern MSA to the southern fringes of Atlanta's MSA? If this occurs and commuting patterns change, then said counties would transfer to Atlanta right?

This is probably why the Lovejoy to Atlanta commuter rail line was pushed more then the Brain Train out to Athens. Eventually this line will travel to Macon's downtown. What would stop a person from hopping a train to travel to the southern reaches of Atlanta's metro or even downtown.

If I have to think of Georgia's next "Atlanta", I can see Columbus and/or Savannah taking that title. As well as Augusta I might add. They are all a fair distance away from Atlanta but close enough to benefit from it's growth. All it would take it for a few suburbs of Savannah to take off and viola'....you have a city center with the most population surrounded by high population suburbs. I can see Pooler (suburban Savannah) growing to a nice sized city. Statesboro is not much farther away and could anchor the western edge of an I-16 metro.  

Columbus is continually combining with fast growing cities in Alabama (some of Alabama's fastest growing cities are in metro Columbus).

I like Macon....it's riverside setting should be enhanced. Unfortunately I feel that Macon may one day fall to the outward march of a city called Atlanta.

[yerocal]

Lady Celeste, on Nov 4 2006, 11:43 AM, said:

Before I start, I will take it that "Georgia's Next Atlanta" means which city will become next important in terms of size, business environment, population, retail and entertainment and not just merely another metro with 5 million people. Having said that..........

I hate to be pessimistic but Macon may never be the next Atlanta because it may one day be a part of Atlanta. Gainesville was once a nice sized city off to it's own. It is now a part of the CSA of Atlanta. As southern suburbs like McDonough (Henry County) grow in importance, is there a possibility that more people will commute out of what is now Macon's northern MSA to the southern fringes of Atlanta's MSA? If this occurs and commuting patterns change, then said counties would transfer to Atlanta right?

This is probably why the Lovejoy to Atlanta commuter rail line was pushed more then the Brain Train out to Athens. Eventually this line will travel to Macon's downtown. What would stop a person from hopping a train to travel to the southern reaches of Atlanta's metro or even downtown.

If I have to think of Georgia's next "Atlanta", I can see Columbus and/or Savannah taking that title. As well as Augusta I might add. They are all a fair distance away from Atlanta but close enough to benefit from it's growth. All it would take it for a few suburbs of Savannah to take off and viola'....you have a city center with the most population surrounded by high population suburbs. I can see Pooler (suburban Savannah) growing to a nice sized city. Statesboro is not much farther away and could anchor the western edge of an I-16 metro.  

Columbus is continually combining with fast growing cities in Alabama (some of Alabama's fastest growing cities are in metro Columbus).

I like Macon....it's riverside setting should be enhanced. Unfortunately I feel that Macon may one day fall to the outward march of a city called Atlanta.

Yes, i agree that atlanta metro is experiencing a lot growth, but i dont think that macon will join it in the next 100 years because there is a lot of connecting to do and there is no cities in the south that no of has a metro which extend that far.  I think macon has little more of and advantage than the other of cities simply because of it's location and what it has to offer. It is indeed close to atl, it has 475,75, 16 and Fast booming WarnerRobins with pop of 56-60,000 to the south with a Huge AF base, booming of growth in jones, monroe & peach counties, which all are growing towards macon, which in the next 10-20 years will be come a small recipcal of what has happen in atlanta and surrounding cities.  If Proposed I-14 and Fall line freeway is completed that will even create more commerical and residential growth.  alot of people seem to under estimate Macon, but trust me it going to be a lot of shock people in future. Also there is so many commerical business and residential awaiting  for approval. In additon, if the passager rail is complete, guess what alot of people who  live in atlanta will probably move to macon  and commute to atlanta to work, because it woud be cheaper to live in macon and take the train to atl and does not means macon wil be part of atl metro, example, you can take a train from Phil to ny city but it not part of ny city metro.

[yerocal]

dougtha1, on Nov 4 2006, 12:06 AM, said:

I agree that nobody in GA is going to catch Atlanta. They are so far ahead of everyone else and they are one of the fastest growing metros in the country. I just hope to see Atlanta hoover around 10 million and the other 2nd tier cities around 1 or 2 million. That would still equal 5 major cities in GA.

when people say that Macon, columbus, savannah or augusta may become the next atlanta,it does not mean it go to jump to the same size and pop, the idea is basically that what cities has the potential to became a major city like atlanta but on a smaller scale. For example, in fl they have Jacksonville & miami are fairly large cities, but you also have ft lauderdale, tampa & orlando which has most of the others has offer as there larger brothers but on a smaller scale.  because if you notice atlanta is Georgia's only Big city all others are small mid size cities with 100-200pop.

[jungletobacco]

the Romans said that all road lead to Rome. In Georgia all roads leads to Atlanta.(interstate 20, 85, and 75)
In Florida, there is no "Rome" that all roads lead to and every city has a major tourist attractions.(theme parks and Beaches)

[jungletobacco]

Savannah has tourist and Augusta has the masters which is one week and thats about all the 2nd tier cities have to offer to the world.